Facebook Friend Request Incites Woman to Run Over Cousin With Minivan

January 26, 2011

When you’re young, sometimes you don’t always make the best decisions. And then sometimes you make terrible, terrible, really terrible decisions. Take Melanie Spanopoulos of Long Island, who got into a “Facebook-fueled catfight over a man” with her cousin Giselle Penagos that resulted in her allegedly hitting Penagos twice with a minivan, then leaving her in the middle of the road, “bleeding in Elmont,” with a broken leg and shattered pelvis. That doesn’t look good on your job applications.

Of course, this sort of unmitigated rage could only be released among women thanks to a dude. A dude on Facebook. According to Spanopoulos’ lawyer, this fellow had rejected Penagos’ friend request but accepted Spanopoulos’. But Spanopoulos was reportedly pissed that Penagos would make such an overture to a guy she liked at all. (Kids: This is why Facebook is dangerous.)

This all came out during a drive home from watching the Jets game at a bar.

Via the New York Post,

Spanopoulos pulled off the parkway onto a dark street near Elmont Avenue and Penagos got out. When Penagos refused to get back in the van, Spanopoulos allegedly leaped out and the pair wrestled each other to the ground.

The suspect then hopped behind the wheel and plowed into her cousin with the van, cops said. She then allegedly put the vehicle in reverse and smashed into her a second time.

When Penagos refused to get in the car despite Spanoupoulos’ orders, claiming she couldn’t feel her legs, Spanoupoulous apparently offered a stranger $20 to take her cousin to her dad’s house in Queens. He left but then came back and took Penagos home. Which must have been an awkward car ride.

Sometimes when you’re young you make mistakes. And sometimes it’s not about your age at all. After being charged with assault and released on a $10,000 bond,